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Monday, February 25, 2013

Illinois House GOP Introduces ‘Pro-Growth’ Jobs Package

Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) and Illinois
House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) with fellow legislators and members of the business community revealed a pro-growth
jobs package today at the Illinois Capitol.

According to the House GOP, the package is aimed at making Illinois job creators
more competitive with Illinois’ border states by reducing start-up costs for small businesses, eliminating job-killing
policies, speeding up the approval of state permits and licenses,
rolling back taxes, making research and development tax credits
permanent, implementing workers’ compensation reform, and restoring
fairness to Illinois’ court system.

“The pro-growth jobs package is necessary at a time when many people
are looking for work,” said Rep. Dwight Kay. “Job creators are looking for a
place to stay, expand, and grow. We have an educated workforce ready to
go to work. Illinois is home to one of the best infrastructures and we
are the financial capital of the Midwest. Putting people back to work
will provide opportunity and grow our economy. Jobs equal revenue and
Illinois desperately needs more revenue without raising taxes.”

According the U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois’ unemployment rate
as of December 2012 was 8.7%. Illinois has the seventh highest
unemployment rate in the nation. Since 2008, Illinois has lost the third
most jobs in the country.

“We need to be laser-focused on creating an environment in Illinois
where residents can find good jobs,” said Leader Cross. “For years, we
have been fighting for legislation that will improve our economy and we
must make it a priority.”

Illinois was also ranked the third worst state to do business in by
Chief Executive Magazine and has the 11th highest tax burden on citizens
in the nation. Furthermore, Illinois is losing more jobs and
opportunity due to excessive taxation and archaic regulation.

The House Republican pro-growth jobs package includes the following:

Reduce the cost of starting a small business by reducing the cost of setting up an LLC by 50%. (HB 2230)

Eliminate job-killing administrative policies by creating a panel
that would bundle together old, obsolete rules and submit them to the
General Assembly for abolition by up-or-down vote. ( HB 2892)

Speed up the approval of permits and licenses for professionals or
job creating enterprise to be answered within 60 days. (At LRB)

Make Research and Development (R&D) tax credits permanent; add
biodiesel and ethanol research as qualified R&D activities. (HB
2891)

Enact stronger workers’ compensation reform which establishes a
standard (making the workplace primary cause) for determining whether or
not an injury occurred at the workplace, making the system more fair
for the injured employee and employer. (HB 107)

Restore fairness to Illinois courts by keeping out of state
lawsuits with no connection to Illinois employers from being filed (HB
138), including curbing the practice of double-dipping (plaintiffs being
compensated multiple times from the same defendant, for the same
claim/lawsuit, HB 153).

“The NFIB applauds the House Republicans for pursing a pro-business
package of bills that will help alleviate the cost of doing business in
Illinois,” said Kim Clarke Maisch, NFIB/IL State Director. “Small
business owners have not recovered from the recession and continue to
struggle to keep their doors open. These bills are introduced at an
important time as some in Springfield pursue a job-killing minimum wage
hike. Small business owners need public policies that help them be
successful, not hurt them.”

“I applaud Rep. Kay’s hard work and dedication in trying to bring
some common-sense lawsuit reforms to Illinois,” said Travis Akin,
executive director of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch. “Illinois is the
fifth-worst state in the country for legal fairness. What we need in
Illinois is more jobs – not more lawsuits.”

“This pro-growth jobs package will create and attract jobs,” said
Rep. Kay. “The state needs to create and attract jobs. It is necessary
to see growth at three to four percent annually and this pro-growth jobs
package will get the job done. This will not happen until the state
meets its obligations by improving the tax and regulatory climate in
order for business to prosper.”

Comments

Illinois House GOP Introduces ‘Pro-Growth’ Jobs Package

Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) and Illinois
House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) with fellow legislators and members of the business community revealed a pro-growth
jobs package today at the Illinois Capitol.

According to the House GOP, the package is aimed at making Illinois job creators
more competitive with Illinois’ border states by reducing start-up costs for small businesses, eliminating job-killing
policies, speeding up the approval of state permits and licenses,
rolling back taxes, making research and development tax credits
permanent, implementing workers’ compensation reform, and restoring
fairness to Illinois’ court system.

“The pro-growth jobs package is necessary at a time when many people
are looking for work,” said Rep. Dwight Kay. “Job creators are looking for a
place to stay, expand, and grow. We have an educated workforce ready to
go to work. Illinois is home to one of the best infrastructures and we
are the financial capital of the Midwest. Putting people back to work
will provide opportunity and grow our economy. Jobs equal revenue and
Illinois desperately needs more revenue without raising taxes.”